The decision comes after two years of debate, according to a public letter signed by church leaders including the Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde and Randolph Hollerith, the dean of the cathedral. . . .

"For many of God's children they are an obstacle to worship in a sacred space; for some, these and other Confederate memorials serve as lampposts along a path that leads back to racial subjugation and oppression," said the letter.